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COVID-19 outbreaks sweep across aged care facilities in NSW

The Greek Herald
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COVID-19 outbreaks sweep across aged care facilities in NSW

COVID-19 cases are climbing in aged care facilities in New South Wales and this has raised concerns about staff shortages and infection control, according to The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH).

Roughly 65 aged care homes in NSW are currently managing coronavirus outbreaks, including 27 facilities that have two or more active cases and four homes where at least a dozen residents and workers have been infected.

St Basil’s Lakemba and Uniting Lillian Wells North Parramatta aged care facilities have reported more than 20 cases in residents in each home.

Bupa Clemton Park, an aged care home in Sydney’s south west, has also confirmed there were 38 COVID-positive residents at the facility and 25 infected staff.

Aged care facilities in Sydney are continuing to lock down in response to virus outbreaks. Photo: Alamy.

Dimitrios Kapelaris’ COVID-positive father has been in lockdown in his room at the Bupa nursing home since December 22 and he expressed his concern to the SMH that positive residents were remaining at the facility.

“There seems to be ongoing transmission without any sense that it is under control,” Mr Kapelaris said.

A Bupa spokesperson said it had been assigning staff from certain parts of the facility to attempt to reduce transmission within the facility.

These outbreaks come at the same time that the aged care workforce in NSW has come under increasing pressure.

Three unnamed aged care workers from NSW told The Guardian that many workers are experiencing burnout, with some pulling 16-hour shifts to cover gaps in the workforce.

One worker at a regional facility in the state’s north said six staff had quit due to low pay and burnout, leaving them woefully unprepared in the event of an outbreak.

The national president of the Health Services Union, Gerard Hayes, said he believed the situation was going to get “dramatically worse” over the next few weeks.

‘The Secret Garden’ on Symi island named most beautiful restaurant in the world

Andriana Simos
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‘The Secret Garden’ on Symi island named most beautiful restaurant in the world

Travel site, The Travel, has ranked The Secret Garden restaurant on the Greek island of Symi as the most beautiful in the world.

The Secret Garden is run by a Greek man called Michalis, who makes all the food, and his wife Katia, who is Dutch.

The restaurant also lives up to its name as diners are served their authentic Greek food under a canopy of lush, verdant plants in a rustic Greek setting.

“Travellers who follow the humble sign from Alithini Street will be rewarded with a beautifully decorated dining area and reasonably priced, authentic fare,” The Travel website writes in its review.

“Former patrons rave about The Secret Garden for its fabulous food, live music, and customer service!”

The Greek restaurant beat some of the world’s most luxurious, fancy spots for the coveted title of the most beautiful restaurant in the world.

Included on the list were the Koral Restaurant in Indonesia, where diners are surrounded by large aquariums filled with exotic fish, and The Grotto in Thailand, where tables are placed on the sand in a cave with a view of the ocean.

Athens art museum becomes more inclusive for visitors with autism

The Greek Herald
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Athens art museum becomes more inclusive for visitors with autism

The National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) in Athens has teamed up with The Happy Act to make its institution more friendly to visitors with autism.

Christos Karakatsidis, who co-founded The Happy Act with his sister Maria, said the project would be a “challenge” due to the large size of the museum and its exhibits.

The project entailed identifying sources of visual and aural stimulation, as certain sounds and lights can trigger adverse reactions in people with autism.

Christos Karakatsidis co-founded The Happy Act with his sister Maria.

From there, the museum would be provided with signposts containing information and warnings regarding the intensity and quality of sensory stimulation at every exhibit and space.

The Happy Act also plans on working with businesses to make them more accessible to customers on the spectrum.

This may entail simple changes like altering the air freshener they use or creating a quiet space for customers experiencing a sensory overload, or more demanding ones, like training staff how to approach customers in distress.

Source: Ekathimerini.

‘Detached from reality’: Ankara rebuffs criticism by Greek Foreign Minister

The Greek Herald
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‘Detached from reality’: Ankara rebuffs criticism by Greek Foreign Minister

Turkey has rebuffed comments made on Tuesday by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and said Athens is to blame for tensions in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean.

“The antagonistic statements against Turkey… made almost every day are populist, unserving of peace and stability as well as being totally detached from reality,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman, Tanju Bilgic, said in a statement.

Bilgic also said that “this provocative rhetoric is neither compatible with good neighbourly relations nor with the spirit of consultative talks we have relaunched with Greece.” 

“These delusions of Dendias prove that Greece prefers tension by creating artificial alliances and relying on favours of third parties against Turkey instead of resolving its bilateral issues and developing relations through an honest and meaningful dialogue with Turkey,” the statement continued.

“Countries which have self confidence do not display such [an] attitude.”

Greece’s Foreign Ministry have already responded to this statement, shrugging off the allegations as paradoxical and accusing Ankara of challenging the country’s territorial integrity.

“Greece will continue to build ties with neighbouring and other countries in the context of respect for international law and good neighbourly relations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman, Alexandros Papaioannou, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Mr Papoiannou urged Turkey to also “respect these fundamental principles.”

READ MORE: Greek Foreign Minister informs US State Department about Turkey’s ‘provocative’ actions.

Source: Ekathimerini.

Novak Djokovic’s Australian visa is denied after exemption papers queried

Andriana Simos
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Novak Djokovic’s Australian visa is denied after exemption papers queried

The Australian government has confirmed that the entry visa for World No.1 tennis player, Novak Djokovic, has been cancelled. He is expected to be deported later today.

“Non-citizens who do not hold a valid visa on entry or who have had their visa cancelled will be detained and removed from Australia,” the Australian Border Force (ABF) said in a statement.

Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, has since reacted to the decision, tweeting that “rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders.”

The decision comes after it emerged that his team had applied for a visa that does not allow for medical exemptions.

Djokovic was granted an exemption to play in this month’s Australian Open in Melbourne. Yesterday, that decision was met with widespread criticism, but Tennis Australia and Victorian government officials said Djokovic was not given special treatment.

Djokovic touched down at Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport on Wednesday about 11:30pm AEDT after a 14-hour flight from Dubai.

The 20-time grand slam winner was being questioned by ABF officials in a room at Melbourne Airport until at least 5am.

Djokovic’s father, Srdjan, told Serbian media that his son was waiting, alone, in a room at the Tullamarine airport under armed guard for a final decision on whether he could enter the country.

Djokovic’s visa drama has derailed his pursuit of his 10th Australian Open singles title and 21st grand slam title overall.

UPDATE:

Djokovic has launched a last minute bid in the Federal Circuit Court to stop the federal government from deporting him ahead of the Australian Open.

Lawyers for the Serbian star appeared in the Melbourne court on Thursday afternoon, but the court heard his lawyers were yet to file documents supporting their case.

Judge Anthony Kelly adjourned the hearing to 4pm and said he was prepared to sit late on Thursday to hear the case.

Source: The Age.

Tennis fever continues in Sydney and Adelaide as Greece beats Georgia, Kokkinakis wins

The Greek Herald
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Tennis fever continues in Sydney and Adelaide as Greece beats Georgia, Kokkinakis wins

It was another big day of tennis in Adelaide and Sydney on Wednesday with both Team Greece and Thanasis Kokkinakis claiming wins.

Here is The Greek Herald‘s wrap up of the day.

Greece finish ATP Cup on a high:

Greece earned its first Group D victory on Wednesday at the ATP Cup, following wins for Stefanos Tsitsipas and Michail Pervolarakis.y

25-year-old Pervolarakis earned his first ATP Cup singles victory for Greece with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Aleksandre Metreveli of Georgia in 68 minutes on Qudos Bank Arena.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s my first ATP Tour singles match win,” Pervolarakis said after the match.

In his singles match, Tsitsipas was leading Nikoloz Basilashvili 4-1 in the first set, before the Georgian returned to his Team Zone complaining of breathing difficulties. Basilashvili ended up retiring from the game.

READ MORE: Greek tennis stars have mixed success at Adelaide and Sydney tournaments.

“It’s not easy playing when you’re not 100 per cent, but I completely understand,” Tsitsipas said after the announcement.

Later, in a fantastic doubles match, Georgia’s Aleksandre Bakshi and Aleksandre Metreveli saved three match points for a 4-6, 6-3, 16-14 victory over Pervolarakis and Tsitsipas in one hour and 34 minutes. The Greeks held match points at 9/8, 11/10 and 13/12 in the Match Tie-break.

Thanasi Kokkinakis victorious over Frances Tiafoe:

South Australian, Thanasi Kokkinakis, had a come-from-behind victory at the Adelaide International last night against American Frances Tiafoe.

From losing the first set and twice being down a break in the second, Kokkinakis came back fighting to defeat Tiafoe 3-6 7-5 6-1.

“I tried to weather the storm as much as I could. You guys [the crowd] were great, trying to cheer me on,” Kokkinakis said after the match.

READ MORE: Thanasi Kokkinakis, Greek tennis stars continue to impress in Adelaide and Melbourne.

“Playing in front of friends and family, playing at home – there’s nothing better to rally like that and come back from what looked like it was going to be an ugly result.”

The victory means Kokkinakis has now booked his first ATP-level quarter-final since reaching the same stage at Los Cabos, Mexico, in August 2019.

The 25-year-old can also expect an Australian Open main draw singles wildcard.

Source: ATP and The West Australian.

Italy returns Parthenon fragment to Athens in nudge to UK

The Greek Herald
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Italy returns Parthenon fragment to Athens in nudge to UK

An Italian museum is lending a fragment of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, in what both sides hope will become a permanent return that might encourage the British Museum to send their own pieces of the works back too.

Sicily’s A. Salinas Archaeological Museum has signed an agreement with the Acropolis Museum in Athens for a once-renewable, four-year loan of a fragment it has from stone VI on the eastern frieze of the Parthenon.

The fragment will be exchanged for a loan of a marble statue of Athena and a protogeometric vase.

READ MORE: Fragments of the Parthenon Marbles reunited in the Acropolis Museum.

“The return to Athens of this important artefact of the Parthenon goes in the direction of building a Europe of culture that has its roots in our history and in our identity,” Sicily’s councillor for cultural heritage and identity, Alberto Samonà, said.

In a statement, the museum said the ultimate aim was the “indefinite return” of the fragment to Athens.

READ MORE: ‘Paving the way’: Italy to return a piece of the Parthenon frieze to Greece.

Italy’s fragment has been loaned to Athens in the past, but for short periods of time. Sicily’s regional authorities have initiated talks with the Greek Culture Ministry to make the loan permanent, putting it on the agenda of a ministry committee that handles such returns, the statement said.

Photo: Archeological Museum Antonino Salinas via AP.

The statement quoted Greek authorities as praising the initiative in the hope that it encourages the British Museum to return its sculptures, which were taken from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, in the early 19th century.

Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, offered a similar loan deal to UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, in November last year, as a means to facilitate the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum. Johnson rejected the demands of his Greek counterpart.

READ MORE: UK PM rebuffs Greek PM’s demand for talks on Parthenon marbles.

Source: AP News.

Maria Sakkari defeated in second round of the Adelaide International

The Greek Herald
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Maria Sakkari defeated in second round of the Adelaide International

Maria Sakkari has been defeated by Shelby Rogers, 6(5)-7(7), 6-2, 4-6, in a nail-biting second round match at the Adelaide International.

Sakkari fought hard throughout the entire match, but it wasn’t enough to beat the American in the final set.

“It was a tight match and my game wasn’t the best but these things happen in tennis,” Sakkari told Greek media after the match.

  • All photos by: The Greek Herald / Argyro Vourdoumpa.

Sakkari made a winning return to the WTA tour as the Greek defeated Tamara Zidansek 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 in the first round.

She said she leaves Adelaide with “good memories” and “can’t wait to come back.”

“My focus now is to make the right decision with regards to my participation in the next tournament and I certainly need some rest and preparation ahead of the Australian Open,” Sakkari said.

READ MORE: “I am here to win this tournament”: Maria Sakkari.

Photo: The Greek Herald / Argyro Vourdoumpa.

‘Nearly died in front of my children’: Nick Viropoulos shares experience with COVID-19

Andriana Simos
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‘Nearly died in front of my children’: Nick Viropoulos shares experience with COVID-19

Father-of-two, Nick Viropoulos, has opened up about his scary ordeal with COVID-19 in a video for the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service.

In the video, Nick shares how he tested positive for the virus and nine days after he was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in hospital fighting for his life.

Nick says that although he only had a mild cough at first, his fever continued to worsen and reached “just under 41 degrees Celsius.”

“By trying to reduce my fever, I burnt a hole in my stomach because of the (excessive) Nurofen. So I was bleeding internally,” he says.

“I nearly died in our home in front of my family because I thought I could fight this. I’m a fit, strong, active man and because of our inaction, I nearly died in front of my children on the lounge.”

‘Worst experience of my life’:

Nick’s wife and two young sons, aged 10 and 8, later tested for COVID-19 as well.

“On the day I went to hospital, my wife was separated from our children. For twenty days, our children were on their own, without their mother and father,” Nick says, while adding that they were well-looked after as part of a pilot program at Randwick Children’s Hospital.

In the meantime, Nick was told to say goodbye to his loved ones because after a scan of his chest, doctors thought he wouldn’t survive.

He ended up being in ICU for 16 days and in a coma for 12 and says rehabilitation from the after-effects of COVID-19 and ICU “were the worst experience of my life.”

“I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t lift my hands, I couldn’t control my bodily functions,” Nick explains.

“I went through the rehab process of learning how to walk, I had to learn how to swallow, I still can’t smell and taste food.”

Nick says he also has “neurological nerve damage,” pain in the extremities of his body and his feet, and needs oxygen at night.

This all leads him to give a final warning message in the video – “Do not let this happen to your family, your loved ones, your wife, your children, your friends… Listen to the professionals and protect yourself from this insidious disease.”

Bill Drakopoulos buys iconic NSW Central Coast pub for $15 million

The Greek Herald
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Bill Drakopoulos buys iconic NSW Central Coast pub for $15 million

Sydney restaurateur, Bill Drakopoulos, has bought the Coast Hotel at Budgewoi on the NSW Central Coast for $15 million, the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reports.

Mr Drakopoulos plans to add the waterfront venue at 169 Budgewoi Road to his Sydney Restaurant Group.

The Group already operates 15 restaurants and cafes including Fenwick in Balmain, The Nielsen at Vaucluse and Ormeggio at The Spit.

Bill Drakopoulos.

“Our venture into hotels is something we have been planning for quite some time,” Mr Drakopoulos, who is the NSW and ACT state director at Restaurant & Catering Australia, told the Australian newspaper.

“We very much look forward to creating amazing spaces and offerings, fitting of the surrounds, much like we have done with our existing restaurants.”

Source: The AFR.

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